Bird cremation in Centennial
A bird's body is small, but the loss isn't. Here's what private and communal cremation mean for birds in Centennial, what they usually cost and how to find a provider who handles tiny remains with care.
- Help deciding on a necropsy first
- Options for parrots, small birds and hens
- Local providers who collect from your vet
Centennial, Colorado
Pet birds in Centennial: the local picture
Centennial is laced with greenbelts and trails, and Cherry Creek State Park sits just to the northeast. Many households also have backyards with room for a small memorial garden. Some families dig a small plot beside a backyard tree, while others keep an urn inside and save a little to scatter somewhere their pet loved. For renters, or anyone likely to move, an urn keeps options open.
Front Range weather in Centennial swings fast: January nights drop into the teens, July afternoons reach about 90, and spring can bring snow one day and sun the next. Hailstorms roll through in late spring and summer. If your pet dies during a storm, there is no need to drive in it. Keep them indoors on a blanket, in the basement or a shaded room, until the weather clears.
If your parrot is elderly and still with you, Centennial is a good place to plan ahead calmly. Ask your avian vet which crematory they use, what a private cremation costs for your bird's weight and whether feathers or the leg band can be set aside first. Writing those answers on a card by the cage means nobody has to guess on a difficult day.
About 108,658 people live in Centennial, which makes it the 11th-largest of the 36 Colorado communities we cover. Aurora, roughly 10 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Centennial run from there.
Our pages for Parker (8 miles), Englewood (8 miles) and Littleton (8 miles) describe the same choices from those towns' point of view, and the providers overlap, so a quote from one often covers Centennial as well.
77.4%[1]
The NFDA projected Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% for 2024.
6 million[2]
About 6 million US households keep pet birds.
1.4 million[3]
There are about 1.4 million indoor pet birds in the UK (2.7% of households).
3-5% of body weight[4]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
To check the figures yourself, see UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026 and Embrace Pet Insurance.
Burial or cremation? How Colorado tends to decide
In Colorado, about 77.4%[1] of people are cremated, one of the higher rates around. That figure is about people, not birds, but it shapes the local market: more crematories, more competition and more providers willing to talk through options. Use that to your advantage. Ask two of them how they cremate a small bird, and go with the one whose answer is clearest.
The Colorado figure comes from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
How Centennial's weather changes the first hours
Snow and ice in January, February, March, November and December can slow collection routes around Centennial. For a bird that's rarely a problem: a small body keeps well in a refrigerator for a couple of days and in a freezer for much longer. If you're waiting out a storm, bag your bird securely, label the bag and keep it well away from food.
Some Centennial families cremate in winter and hold a small ceremony in spring: scattering a pinch of ash beneath a feeder, or burying a tiny urn under a shrub the wild birds use. It lets the season set the timing. Cremated remains keep indefinitely, so nothing is lost by waiting for a warmer day.
How much to budget for a bird in Centennial
Some Centennial keepers weigh cremation against a pet cemetery. By our estimate, whole-body burial of a small pet costs ~$350[5] at the median of posted US price lists, more than double the private cremation band. Freeze-drying a small bird costs more again, about $650–$1,350[6] at one studio. Cremation is usually the least expensive way to keep something.
We keep the detailed Colorado price table on one page so it stays current: see Colorado prices.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
What Colorado allows for pet birds
Most rules that touch bird aftercare in Colorado were written with dogs, cats or livestock in mind, but they apply to birds too. The ones worth knowing cover home burial, scattering ashes on public land and reporting suspected bird flu in poultry or aviary birds.
Not sure which office covers Centennial? The Colorado local government directory is the official list.
Start with the Colorado rules, which cover burial, scattering and oversight for the whole state, and treat Centennial's local ordinances as a possible extra layer.
A calm checklist for the next 48 hours
- If several backyard birds died suddenly, stop and call your vet or the animal health authority before moving or cremating them.
- Keep your bird cool. Bag them and put them in the refrigerator within an hour in warm weather.
- Call your avian vet, or any local clinic if your avian vet is far away. They can confirm the death and store your bird.
- Ask your questions: is the cremation private, is a tray used for small bodies and when will the remains come back?
- Decide who takes your bird there: you, your vet or the provider's collection service.
- Choose a container sized for grams, not pounds. A small keepsake urn, a locket or a glass vial is usually plenty.
Ideas for remembering a bird who talked, sang or simply watched
Centennial is a large suburb of about 109,000 south of Denver, formed in 2001 from neighborhoods that had been unincorporated for decades. Most homes are single-family houses in established subdivisions, with townhomes near the Denver Tech Center and Interstate 25. With Aurora about 10 miles away and good highway access, you have many aftercare options within a short drive, or you can ask for collection from home.
look through our guides and the blog, Every option Centennial families choose between is on the services page, or compare your instinct with the poll results, the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Denver and Thornton, and every city in Colorado.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
If your bird had a companion, did you let them see the body?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Would you want a necropsy to find out why your bird died?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Pet age & senior years calculator
Convert your pet's age and see when senior-care and planning conversations usually start.
Questions people ask
Is cremation common in Colorado?
For people, yes: about 77.4%[1] of Colorado deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Centennial follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Centennial?
The closest communities we cover are Parker (about 8 miles), Englewood (about 8 miles) and Littleton (about 8 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Centennial too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Does the Centennial climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 90°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January, February, March, November and December, when lows sit below freezing, a home burial may have to wait for a thaw, so cremation with ashes returned keeps your options open.
Will I have to travel to Aurora to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Aurora (roughly 10 miles from Centennial) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
How much does bird cremation cost in Centennial?
Most US providers put birds in their smallest weight band, which CareCredit lists at about $100 to $175 for private cremation and $45 to $75 for communal, for pets up to 30 lb. Collection, after-hours fees and an urn add to that. Ask any Centennial provider for a written total that names the species.
Is a necropsy worth it for my bird?
It's most worth it when other birds share your home or aviary. A necropsy can identify infections, toxins such as zinc or overheated non-stick fumes, and conditions that could affect the survivors. It has to happen before cremation, so talk to your avian vet within a day or two and keep your bird refrigerated meanwhile.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] About 6 million US households keep pet birds. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, 2025.
- [3] There are about 1.4 million indoor pet birds in the UK (2.7% of households). UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026, 2026.
- [4] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [5] Across five posted US pet-cemetery price lists, the median whole-body burial for a small pet, including plot and opening/closing, was about $350. Our estimate: median of [Rainier $150 plot incl. first burial, Cedar Bend $290, Forest $350, Great River $750, Precious Memories $1,500]. How we calculate.
- [6] Freeze-drying costs about $850 for a bearded dragon, $950 for a hedgehog, rat or ferret, and $650–$1,350 for a small bird at one Ohio studio. Animal Family Pet Preservation – Pricing, 2026.
- [7] Published ashes-return times across the network's markets range from same-day (paid express) to about 4 weeks; a conservative typical window is 3-14 days. Our estimate: min/max across sources: Lambeth 3 days; US 5-10 days; RSPCA QLD within 14 days; AniCura Sweden 2-4 weeks. How we calculate.
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